The present invention relates generally to improvements in military decoy systems, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved decoy launcher wherein a pair of concentric cylinders moveable relative to each other are utilized to elevate and train the launcher's firing table.
Decoy systems now comprise an essential part of each ship's anti-ship missile defense (ASMD). The Rapid-bloom Off-board Chaff (RBOC) and Super Rapid-bloom Off-board Chaff (SRBOC) systems are presently installed on board many ships and current developments will likely provide the Torch, Sea Gnat, and Active Electronics Decoy (AED) rounds in the near future. These decoys provide an effective defense against anti-ship missile threats presently identified and it may be expected that, as new threats are identified, new decoy rounds will be developed.
While the decoy round itself may be considered the essential component of the system, the effectiveness of the decoy system is critically dependent upon the capability to deliver the round quickly to a specified area with respect to the ship. This is the function of the launching system.
It has been the general practice to equip ships with various chaff dispensing systems. All systems through SRBOC had their own particularly designed launchers, and none of the systems could utilize the launchers of the other systems. With the advent of the SRBOC system, it was decided to make the MK 137 SRBOC launcher the ship's dedicated decoy launcher, and constrain all future decoy rounds so that they would be deliverable by that launcher. Torch, an infra-red decoy, has been designed such that it will be launchable by the MK 137 launcher. Sea Gnat a NATO hybrid decoy, will likely also be launchable from the MK 137 launcher, but with significant contraints on ship attitude at launch or the acceptance of significantly degraded placement accuracy and lengthened deployment time. None of the present AED designs are launchable from the MK 137 launcher nor, given the size required for that particular decoy, is it likely that a design will be developed which will be compatible with the launcher. It is therefore apparent that the prior art MK 137 launcher is not a "universal" decoy launcher and that to attempt to contrain future decoy design to that launcher would be unduly restrictive.